


Gentle Takeover

by beng



Series: The Dawn Will Come [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dwarven Carta, Gen, Haven, Herald of Andraste, Stepping Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-04 02:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2905241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beng/pseuds/beng
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brought up as a confident heiress of a lyrium smuggling network, Rinata has no problems slipping into the role of a leader. She doesn't mean to upset anyone, but she can pull her own weight. She's done watching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gentle Takeover

Rinata paces the length of her room, turns, paces again. She reaches the other wall and leans against it, gloved hands splayed on the old red tapestry covering the logs. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to be still. She knows better than to pace.

Until now, she has been watching and listening. She has done what Cassandra or Leliana decide. Inquisition is their idea, after all. Rinata is just an accident, a branch caught in the wheels of the chariot. She doesn't even remember what happened during that explosion.

Talking with the newly recruited Warden, however, has somehow dispersed the confusion of the past few days. Rinata knows she can change the way things are, stop being an accident. She takes off her glove and stares at the bright green mark in her palm. This happened to her. Whether through reason or coincidence, she is the only one who can close the Breach. 

Rinata hops up on her bed, so annoyingly high for a dwarf, pulls a pillow into her lap, wraps a blanket around her shoulders and settles down to really  _think_ , for a change.

She is no helpless maid in distress. She is no innocent bystander either. She is a Carta agent. Eldest grandchild of the matriarch of the Cadash family, she has known since childhood that she mattered, that she is skillful and smart, and that her family look out for and take pride in her. House Cadash have given her an unshakable belief in herself, as well as the clear expectation that a day would come when she would be the one running the smuggling operation.

And now that is no longer possible. Rinata hugs the pillow tighter. Josephine is right, Carta wouldn’t want her back, she is too famous now. 

Her family would need to adjust. As far as she knows, her mother and grandmother have already been contemplating alternatives in case the war destroyed their sources or new draconic measures were applied to eradicate their whole network.

There's nothing more holding her to the past. Why not take the hand she has been dealt? She can bring connections, power to her family, and, hopefully, peace to the world. As the babbling elf recently said, the Breach had to be closed, and meanwhile, the money has to keep flowing.

A careful, slow smile starts to spread across Rinata’s face. She doesn't think this is what Blackwall had in mind when he mentioned becoming something bigger and making a difference, but this is what it translates to for Rinata.

Starting tomorrow, she is taking over the operation.

 

*

_Ladies (and Cullen),_

_My dear advisors, greetings from the Storm Coast. The Inquisition has gained the support of a mercenary band called the Bull’s Chargers._

_Leliana: please be advised that he’s a Ben Hassrath agent. He’ll be reporting on us to his superiors but will probably agree the drafts with you beforehand. He knew our Spymaster is a ‘she’. Take care._

_Josephine: Iron Bull told me he’d be discussing his payment with you and that I shouldn’t worry. I’m sorry, ambassador, but that’s not acceptable. Blame my past if you will, but I assure you (and will assure him too) that my pretty head is more than capable of doing cash flow forecasts. When I’m back, I’d like to discuss our finances with you._

_Cassandra (and Cullen): I’m curious why no one had wanted to speak with Iron Bull’s lieutenant when he was in Haven. We need all the support we can get. Please investigate and make sure that messengers don’t have to wait at the door for days before the Inquisition hears them._

_Weather is terrific, say hello to Varric and the babbling elf. Get her some warm socks, if you can._

_Cadash_

 

_*_

Cassandra lowers the letter and stares over the table at Leliana.

“What do you make of it?” she asks. “The tone seems... different.”

The Spymaster casts a look around the room. Cullen seems as miffed as Cassandra, and Josephine looks annoyed that her competence would be questioned by some Carta smuggler. Leliana knits her brows as she tries to remember what she knows of that particular family.

“It sounds genuine,” she eventually says. “It is different and unexpected, but... It’s not unwelcome.”

Josephine huffs. “I have enough work, Leliana. I don’t have the time to explain simple things.”

“I don’t remember any mercenary envoys,” Cassandra mutters. “Do you, Cullen?”

The Commander shrugs. “There are all sorts of people coming and going in Haven.”

Leliana sighs.

“We give this a chance,” she decides. “Let’s see what kind of a leader she can be.”

 

As everyone leaves the meeting room, Leliana picks up the letter and inspects it closely.

She doesn’t mind the content. She never wanted the Herald to be their puppet anyway.

She just wants to know where this initiative has come from.

 

“Babbling elf?” she wonders. “Who’s the babbling elf?”


End file.
